Published online 8 May 2006
Survey and Summary |
Telomeres, chromosome instability and cancer
1 Department of Environmental and Radiological Health Sciences, Colorado State University Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA 2 Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA
*To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: 970 491 2944; Fax: 970 491 7742; Email: sbailey{at}colostate.edu
Received February 6, 2006. Revised March 6, 2006. Accepted April 9, 2006.
Telomeres are composed of repetitive G-rich sequence and an abundance of associated proteins that together form a dynamic cap that protects chromosome ends and allows them to be distinguished from deleterious DSBs. Telomere-associated proteins also function to regulate telomerase, the ribonucleoprtotein responsible for addition of the species-specific terminal repeat sequence. Loss of telomere function is an important mechanism for the chromosome instability commonly found in cancer. Dysfunctional telomeres can result either from alterations in the telomere-associated proteins required for end-capping function, or from alterations that promote the gradual or sudden loss of sufficient repeat sequence necessary to maintain proper telomere structure. Regardless of the mechanism, loss of telomere function can result in sister chromatid fusion and prolonged breakage/fusion/bridge (B/F/B) cycles, leading to extensive DNA amplification and large terminal deletions. B/F/B cycles terminate primarily when the unstable chromosome acquires a new telomere, most often by translocation of the ends of other chromosomes, thereby providing a mechanism for transfer of instability from one chromosome to another. Thus, the loss of a single telomere can result in on-going instability, affect multiple chromosomes, and generate many of the types of rearrangements commonly associated with human cancer.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  L. Hou, S. A. Savage, M. J. Blaser, G. Perez-Perez, M. Hoxha, L. Dioni, V. Pegoraro, L. M. Dong, W. Zatonski, J. Lissowska, et al. Telomere Length in Peripheral Leukocyte DNA and Gastric Cancer Risk Cancer Epidemiol. Biomarkers Prev., November 1, 2009; 18(11): 3103 - 3109. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. Xu, R. C. Petreaca, H. J. Gasparyan, S. Vu, and C. I. Nugent TEN1 Is Essential for CDC13-Mediated Telomere Capping Genetics, November 1, 2009; 183(3): 793 - 810. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Harada, M. Uchida, and N. Shimizu Episomal High Copy Number Maintenance of Hairpin-capped DNA Bearing a Replication Initiation Region in Human Cells J. Biol. Chem., September 4, 2009; 284(36): 24320 - 24327. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Bielinska, H. Parviainen, S. Kiiveri, M. Heikinheimo, and D. B. Wilson REVIEW PAPER: Origin and Molecular Pathology of Adrenocortical Neoplasms Vet. Pathol., March 1, 2009; 46(2): 194 - 210. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 Y.-L. Zheng, N. Hu, Q. Sun, C. Wang, and P. R. Taylor Telomere Attrition in Cancer Cells and Telomere Length in Tumor Stroma Cells Predict Chromosome Instability in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Genome-Wide Analysis Cancer Res., February 15, 2009; 69(4): 1604 - 1614. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. S. Durkin, X. Guo, K. A. Fryrear, V. T. Mihaylova, S. K. Gupta, S. M. Belgnaoui, A. Haoudi, G. M. Kupfer, and O. J. Semmes HTLV-1 Tax Oncoprotein Subverts the Cellular DNA Damage Response via Binding to DNA-dependent Protein Kinase J. Biol. Chem., December 26, 2008; 283(52): 36311 - 36320. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. P. Bronner, J. N. O'Sullivan, P. S. Rabinovitch, D. A. Crispin, L. Chen, M. J. Emond, C. E. Rubin, and T. A. Brentnall Genomic Biomarkers to Improve Ulcerative Colitis Neoplasia Surveillance Am. J. Pathol., December 1, 2008; 173(6): 1853 - 1860. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. R. Lowden, B. Meier, T. W.-s. Lee, J. Hall, and S. Ahmed End Joining at Caenorhabditis elegans Telomeres Genetics, October 1, 2008; 180(2): 741 - 754. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Yehezkel, Y. Segev, E. Viegas-Pequignot, K. Skorecki, and S. Selig Hypomethylation of subtelomeric regions in ICF syndrome is associated with abnormally short telomeres and enhanced transcription from telomeric regions Hum. Mol. Genet., September 15, 2008; 17(18): 2776 - 2789. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. H. Maxwell and M. J. Curcio Incorporation of Y'-Ty1 cDNA Destabilizes Telomeres in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Telomerase-Negative Mutants Genetics, August 1, 2008; 179(4): 2313 - 2317. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. A. Gatz and L. Wiesmuller Take a break--resveratrol in action on DNA Carcinogenesis, February 1, 2008; 29(2): 321 - 332. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 N. L Komarova, A. V Sadovsky, and F. Y.M Wan Selective pressures for and against genetic instability in cancer: a time-dependent problem J R Soc Interface, January 6, 2008; 5(18): 105 - 121. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. L. Narducci, A. Grasselli, L. M. Biasucci, A. Farsetti, A. Mule, G. Liuzzo, G. La Torre, G. Niccoli, R. Mongiardo, A. Pontecorvi, et al. High Telomerase Activity in Neutrophils From Unstable Coronary Plaques J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., December 18, 2007; 50(25): 2369 - 2374. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Marrone, A. Walne, H. Tamary, Y. Masunari, M. Kirwan, R. Beswick, T. Vulliamy, and I. Dokal Telomerase reverse-transcriptase homozygous mutations in autosomal recessive dyskeratosis congenita and Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome Blood, December 15, 2007; 110(13): 4198 - 4205. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H. D. M. Wyatt, D. A. Lobb, and T. L. Beattie Characterization of Physical and Functional Anchor Site Interactions in Human Telomerase Mol. Cell. Biol., April 15, 2007; 27(8): 3226 - 3240. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|